Best Served Cold
by white pedal
Summary: They say karma is the most beautiful thing in anyone's life. One day it gave Seto Kaiba the greatest satisfaction he ever felt in years. Contains: family betrayal


**This is a one shot I've been thinking of for quite a while. Set back to Seto's childhood and later on his late teens.**

Eight year old Seto Jones was hiding behind the door in his bedroom. He was peeping through the crack as he looked out to the living room where he heard a loud argument.

In the living was his father, Thomas Jones, and in the room with him was his aunt Cheryl.

His father had brown hair just like Seto but he had velvet eyes just like his three year old brother Mokuba. He was tall and handsome but right now he was absolutely horrifying as his pupils shrunk and he was gritting his teeth as he shot Cheryl a death glare.

Cheryl was his deceased mothers older sister. She had dark brown hair that was styled in a ridiculous bun with a diamond scrunchy, she wore a dress that was to fancy for any event and she wore to much make up that made her look like a clown (Thomas cringed, Seto stared and Mokuba started crying when they saw the woman come in).

They were at each others throat's for some reason. It started when his father brought Mokuba home from a doctors appointment for his strep throat and he was glaring at Cheryl the entire, Seto saw how his father was looking at her and decided too keep an eye on Mokuba.

It wasn't until the boys went to bed is when Thomas started asking Cheryl. When they started yelling Seto woke up and got out of his bed and peeked from their bedroom to see what was going on.

"I swear Thomas I don't know what you are talking about!" Cheryl exclaims at Thomas.

"Don't lie to me! I went to the doctors today with Mokuba and they told me!"

Seto was wondering what his father was talking about, what did the doctors tell him? And what did it have to do with Mokuba?

Cheryl moved a piece of her hair away from her face and looked away from Thomas and scoffed.

"Thomas I assure you I have no idea what you mean, I think you're going crazy from raising two children by yourself."

"Don't change the subject! When I went with Mokuba I met up with doctor Harper." Cheryl froze when he said that name.

Her eyes were wide and she paled a bit. Thomas came closer to her and started speaking in a venomous voice.

"He came and talked to me when he saw me and Mokuba. He told me how sorry he was when he heard that Adina died when she had him, and whats funny is that he told me he thought she would have a C- section to have Mokuba instead of having natural childbirth."

Cheryl was starting to get nervous as she bit her painted red bottom lip. Seto continued listening but was still confused of what his father was talking about.

"Doctor Harper told me three years ago when Adina went to her appointment when she was eight months pregnant with Mokuba he said after her appointment he called her. Were you or were you not with your sister at her appointment during that time or heard the call?"

Three years ago when Seto's mother Adina was going to the hospital for her monthly check up, his father was on a business trip overseas and couldn't attend the appointment with her. So Cheryl came up for a visit (it was a lie and came up because her second husband divorced her for infidelity and needed a place to stay) and happened to tag along with her little sister to her appointment.

Cheryl looked at Thomas in the eye and answered him "Yes I was there with her so what?"

"And Doctor Harper's phone call after her appointment?"

"...Didn't get it, are we finished here?" as Cheryl was about to walk away Thomas went in front of her.

"We are not finished here! And that was a lie!" He continued.

"Doctor Harper said that after Adina's appointment he called her to tell her the test results. He said that Adina had Anemia and if she doesn't get a C-section for Mokuba there was a high chance she wouldn't survive having our son! And he said that you answered and he told you to let Adina know that she needed to have a C-section with a blood transfusion to save her life"

The secret was out now, Cheryl's expression was shock at first but then it darkened.

Seto still listened and couldn't believe it. He didn't know what Anemia was but hearing that his mother wouldn't survive his brothers birth if she didn't get it treated.

Cheryl looked at her brother in law with a steel look.

"You want the truth Thomas, fine here it is! For years Adina was everyone's favorite! She was the apple of ours parents eye, the top student at school, the most beautiful woman that every man wanted," Cheryl clenched her teeth and her fists were in a tight ball "and to add insult to injury she ended up with a loving devoted husband and an intelligent son!" Cheryl was starting to get the ball rolling that would guarantee serious consequences.

"I hated her, she was the baby of the family but she had everything I wanted ! I have no money and all my ex-husbands left me and I can't have children Thomas, and she had a big house and a loving family! And when she was about to have that brat I hated her even more, I wanted her dead! And when the doctor called and told me about Adina's condition It was my golden ticket, a chance to have revenge on her for the misery she cause me for years! And now she's gone!"

The room was silent after a loud crack filled the air. Seto was stunned from what he heard, everything was crashing down around him. This woman is the reason why his father lost his wife and why he and Mokuba lost their mother when he was born.

Thomas looked like he was about to kill Cheryl as the woman held her face where he struck her.

"How could you?! You killed your own sister for something so stupid and pathetic! You lied to her about something that could saved her life! And at her funeral, you stood there! With no emotion while me and Seto grieved for her death and the fact that Mokuba will never know his mother!"

Cheryl still held her face "You can't blame me personally, if you look at it in a logical way Mokuba was the one who killed Adina. She gave birth to him and he took her life.." Cheryl didn't finish her sentence as Thomas silenced her with a horrifying glare.

"Don't you dare blame Mokuba for Adina's death," Thomas said "He didn't ask to be born and never asked for any of those horrible things to happen to her! You are the reason she's dead! You lied to her about what the doctor said and lied to her about her Anemia and letting her give birth with you knowing she wouldn't make it when she could of had the C-section to have Mokuba without her dying." Thomas was breathing heavily at this point with all the anger, sadness and stress building up with each moment with his sister in law.

"Adina loved you and gave you a place to stay when you had no where else to go and this is how you thank her!?" Thomas shook his head "you cold hearted bitch, you hated her that much?"

"Well she shouldn't have gotten pregnant the second time!" Cheryl shot back "you two already had that brat Seto and now you are stuck with two of them, especially since that little brat looks exactly like her!"

Thomas will admit that at times he couldn't really look at Mokuba. He didn't hate him but because he had inherited his mother's appearance (except he had his fathers eyes) he is reminded of his wife and how she is not with him anymore. It pained him to know that his children will grow up without her, Seto will never see his mother again and Mokuba looks like her but will never have the chance to know her.

Still he wanted to stay strong for his boys and be there for them always. And will always be there for Mokuba, who is a piece of Adina that was left behind in the world.

Thomas stood tall against Cheryl "I will not stand by and let you insult my children! And I am going to the police with doctor Harper as my witness because you are going to prison! You did nothing but cause this family pain and suffering and I won't stand for it! You are going to pay for what yo did to Adina and my sons!"

Thomas left through the front door.

Seto closed the door and sunk to the ground. Everything was numb, his mind went completely blank. For the past three years he tried to cope with his mothers death from childbirth but know hearing his aunt admit she lied to her sister to have her killed was like opening old wounds and pouring salt in them. It was hurting him so much it made him physically cry.

He looked over at his three year old brother who was sleeping peacefully in bed. He walked over to Mokuba and pet his head gently.

"None of this is your fault Mokie," he said softly "me and dad will always be there to protect you. Always."

The following night the police knocked on their door. Seto answered it, it was a police man who had a sad look on his face. He bent down to Seto saying "your father got into a horrible accident. I'm afraid he didn't survive the accident, he gone." Seto and Mokuba's life was turned upside down from that moment on.

When Seto asked the police where his aunt Cheryl was he told him that she was no where to be found. He also told Seto and Mokuba had to got to the orphanage because there was no one else to take care of them.

He knew that was a lie. Their relatives were worse then Cheryl and knew they took what was left of their inheritance according to his father's will. But the odd thing was Mokuba and Seto were cut off from the will mysteriously.

That night the brothers lost everything. First a mother then their father, they lost their loving family.

* * *

"Haven't seen you for a while," Seto said coldly "...the years were good to you." He sad that last part sarcastically.

Cheryl looked like she aged thirty years when she hadn't seen her nephews in ten years. She had wrinkles under her eyes that made her look older when she was in fact in her mid forties, her hair was a mess as it was in a loose bun with hairs sticking out. She no longer wore the distasteful makeup she once wore and looked even worse (Seto couldn't help but make a Droopy Dog joke in his mind seeing the woman in such horrible shape).

She was wearing rags instead of those hideous expensive dresses she wore. Seto knew that she was homeless.

"Seto please!" Cheryl started to beg "you have to help me! Your cousins, uncles and aunts are completely broke! They lost their homes, businesses and half of your cousins don't have the money to go to college and they are blaming me for everything!"

Seto checked his nails while his aunt pleaded him. Seto never thought this day would happen to be honest, he just thought that Cheryl and the rest of his "family" would live happily ever after while they left him and Mokuba to rot away and be forgotten while they have their fathers fortune.

It looks like it all hit the fan when his aunt Cheryl came through his security and went into his office. She was desperate and now he knew that his backstabbing relatives lost their fortunes and are living a life of misery, it just made his stressful day so much better.

He hide his amusement and smile, inside he was astounded that everything they took from him and Mokuba was coming back and bite them big time.

The thought of those crumbs getting what's coming them were absolutely delicious.

He looks up at his aunt with his blue eyes hard as steel "Why should I? You never did anything for me or my brother, if I can recall on the night our father died you disappeared without a trace. And I found you and the rest of those cock roaches took our fathers fortune right under our noses after he died and none of you took us in."

Cheryl was breathing heavily and exclaimed "Don't toy with me Seto! You're my nephew and I need your help! Look just give me a loan to pay our family back and the bank because if I don't I'll go to prison or get killed!"

Seto smirked "Either way would bliss I suppose. What can I say, let the punishment fit the crime."

Cheryl was confused by what her nephew was saying "What are you talking about!?" she seethed.

Seto got up from his desk and circled her "Well if you get murdered by "our" kin then it would be considered eye for an eye wouldn't it?"

Cheryl was getting irritated "Spit out what you mean you brat!" she demanded.

"...I heard that fight you and my father had ten years ago. And the fact you admitted that you knew of my mothers condition and pulled the wool over our parents eyes and she had no idea that her fate was sealed."

Cheryl couldn't believe it. Seto heard them that night?

"You..you know!? How!?"

"It's hard to sleep when there's shouting outside. My father was pretty furious with you that night, then again if any man found out their wife's sister had them die in a unnecessary death they would see red to." Seto gave Cheryl a glare.

Cheryl's anger rose up and she grabbed Seto's collar.

"You little bastard! Do you have any idea what it's like to live in the shadow of your younger sibling! She deserved to die! And it was your brothers fault!"

Seto shoved her off of him and grabbed her rist's and showed his fury.

"It was not Mokuba's fault, and she didn't deserve to die. She was your sister and you were jealous of her because she made the right choices in life while you blame everyone for your problems and don't do anything to fix them. My mother was loved by everyone because she was a good person who was loving and faithful to our father while you cheated on your husbands and they left you because of it, not to mention you are too lazy to get a job to support yourself."

Seto lets his aunt go "You could have had the life she had to Cheryl, but you never took responsibility for yourself. And to think you hated her so much that you let her die in the delivery room where you knew she was going to die. And you even dared to my little brother the scape goat when you knew it was your fault."

Seto went to stare out the window while Cheryl grew more and more impatient.

"Years after you put us in the orphanage it was hell for us, and when Gozaburo adopted us it got worse," he turns to look at the woman "but when I remembered what you did and how you took our mother away from us I fought harder and it got me where I am today. My father may have been unfortunate enough to get into that car accident and wasn't able to go to the police but I always knew the truth. The problem was I was a kid and I knew they wouldn't believe me."

Cheryl had enough of Seto's games and needed the money now.

"Seto Jones you have better give me the money now!"

Seto froze when she said his last name. He hadn't heard anyone call him that for years, he long abandoned the family name after the death of his father. He wouldn't admit it but the name Jones was a painful memory he wanted to forget, no one in his biological family wanted him or Mokuba and it proved that his parents were the only kind people that would make him want to use his surname.

It was the past and that's what he wanted to forget.

He walks over to her and looks at her right in the eye. He was going to make it clear that she will never get anything from him, especially after all the things she's done.

"If you think I'm going to give you anything, considering that you had my mother die when my brother was born and after my fathers death you had those backstabbers take our dad's money and dumped us off in that orphanage. You are asking the wrong guy, so you can tell your pathetic excuse for a family that they will have to settle for what they got, I am not your fairy god mother who will make your problems go away."

"Well whether you like it or not Seto they are your family too!" Cheryl shouted.

Seto's patience have just thinned out with this woman.

"If they were family they wouldn't have abandoned us, and my family is my mother, father and Mokuba, got that? Now get out before I call security to throw you out."

Cheryl looked like she was about to breakdown, she was angry that her plan was foiled. Seto was not the little boy he once was, he was cheerful and happy but seeing how tens years later at the age of eighteen he had a glare that can kill someone on the spot.

Cheryl said to him "You are just like your father, he blamed me for what happened to Adina and here you are blaming me for your miserable life."

"Well Cheryl, that was kinda your fault, actually everything from mom's death to me and Mokuba getting sent to the orphanage while you spend all that money on yourself is your fault. You couldn't handle the fact that mom was happy while you were a miserable old bat, and when you found out about her Anemia that was your chance to punish her for her happiness." Seto moved away from Cheryl and crossed his arms.

"I would turn you over to the authorities, but knowing your situation your punishment is starting and everything is coming back at you," Seto gave her a smirk "you know the saying for this day and age, payback is a bitch."

Cheryl shook her head while Seto stood tall. How he looked just like his father, he had his hair, temper and his confidence and how he looked down on her like Thomas did.

"Now I'll say it one more time," Seto says "Get. Out."

Cheryl knew then and there that Seto will not change his mind. And if she goes back to Seto and Mokuba's relatives empty handed she knew it will not end well for her, the money she gave them ten years ago didn't last long and now that their relative, the famous Seto Kaiba, won't cough it up they are doomed.

And Cheryl is the one who is going to pay.

She ended up running from Seto's office practically screaming. In life, to him anyways, revenge is a dish best served cold. In this case aunt Cheryl brought on herself and her payback was ice cold.

Seto went back to his desk. On the table he saw a picture of his mother and father and himself when he was two. He kept that picture safe after he and Mokuba were taken to the orphanage and when they lived with Gozaburo, he saw his father and mother smiling while holding him.

He looked at his mother in the photograph. She had long raven black hair and looked just like Mokuba, except she had blue eyes like her eldest son, she was the inspiration for his video game since she had a princess feeling to her.

Then a rare warm smile fell on his face.

**Feel free to leave a review:)**


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